Jun
28
Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Commission
June 28, 2010 | 4 Comments
How is it that the country of Bhutan came to have a Gross National Happiness Commission? What is happiness, how do they measure it, and what do they do to make their people happier? Hear answers from Karma Tshiteem, Secretary of Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Commission.
Jun
26
Book Passage Travel, Food & Photography Conference
June 26, 2010 | 1 Comment
| August 12, 2010 12:00 am | to | August 15, 2010 12:00 am |
Time to make your plans for the 19th Annual Book Passage Travel, Food, & Photography Conference. It promises to be better than ever this year, with inclusion of food writing classes and panels, as well as expert advice and instruction for travel writers and photographers. The conference runs from August 12 to 15, 2010. Call Book Passage in Corte Madera (800-999-7909, ext. 239) for more information or to register.
From the website:
The Book Passage Travel Writers & Photographers Conference covers
Jun
26
Thanks to Gayle Keck over at Been There Ate That for sending this link to a Matador article titled “10 Words and Phrases We Never Want to See in Travel Writing Again.” Test yourself: guess what they are before you click.
May
24
Jim Benning talks travel writing
May 24, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Jim Benning, cofounder and coeditor of worldhum.com, will be talking about travel writing on both coasts this summer. will deliver a talk and discuss writing on a panel at Travel Blog Exchange’s two-day travel blogging conference, TBEX ‘10, June 26-27 in New York City. In August, he’ll be in the Bay Area at the Book Passage Travel Writers & Photographers Conference in Corte Madera.
Apr
28
Fluent in 3 months
April 28, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Traveling soon to a country where you don’t speak the language? There are many helpful posts on Benny Lewis’ FluentIn3Months.com, “a how-to guide and story of becoming fluent in any language quickly. After over seven years of travelling and learning languages I have picked up quite a lot of short-cuts, unconventional learning techniques, and a pretty good mentality that has hugely helped me to learn these languages, and earn the title of ‘polyglot’. This site is for sharing these tips so that others may also live their dreams of being able to speak other languages!”
Posts include these:
Apr
28
From Ridiculously Extraordinary by Karol Gajda come these 21 reasons you should quit your day job and travel the world.
Apr
28
Costa Rican cuisine and more from Lenny Karpman
April 28, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Did you know there are no lemons in Costa Rica? Would you like an authentic recipe for Costa Rican Christmas tamales (which you may eat, by the way, at any time of the year)? Looking for the best restaurants in Costa Rica? Look no further than Lenny Karpman’s new website.
Apr
26
Tim Cahill at San Jose State
April 26, 2010 | Leave a Comment
| April 28, 2010 | ||
| 1:00 pm | ||
| 7:00 pm |
Tim Cahill has been a professor (The Lurie Distinguished Visiting Writer) in San Jose State’s creative writing program at this semester. He’ll be speaking at two events, both free and open to the public, on Wednesday, April 28. More info here.
A founding editor of Outside Magazine, Cahill is the author of seven books, including Pass the Butterworms, Pecked to Death by Ducks, Hold the Enlightenment and Lost In My Own Backyard.
A Conversation with Tim Cahill, 1 pm: Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, Rm 225-229
Reading and Book Signing, 7 pm: Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, Rm 225-229
Apr
26
This article by Randal C. Archibald is on the New York Times site, where it was published on April 23rd. Some travelers have suggested boycotting travel to the state of Arizona in protest of the new law.
“Gov. Jan Brewer of Arizona signed the nation’s toughest bill on illegal immigration into law on Friday. Its aim is to identify, prosecute and deport illegal immigrants…
“The law, which proponents and critics alike said was the broadest and strictest immigration measure in generations, would make the failure to carry immigration documents a crime and give the police broad power to detain anyone suspected of being in the country illegally. Opponents have called it an open invitation for harassment and discrimination against Hispanics regardless of their citizenship status…
Apr
26
Lisa Alpine’s new book
April 26, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Lisa Alpine’s collection of short travel stories, Exotic Life: Laughing Rivers, Dancing Drums and Tangled Hearts, is now available for pre-order on her website. Lisa made the book available in multiple formats using Smashwords (for Kindle, Sony Reader, and Palm doc) and Scribd for a free sample preview or a PDF.
Maureen Wheeler blurbed the book: “Curiosity, courage and fierce determination to remain true to her own search for truth, shines brightly and are at the core of each of Lisa Alpine’s stories. To quote Kurt Vonnegut “Strange travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God” – this could be Lisa’s motto as she dances wherever the spirit leads her.” —Maureen Wheeler, founder of Lonely Planet Publications
Apr
26
Just Back: Freedom stifled in North Korea
April 26, 2010 | Leave a Comment
A colossal mosaic of Kim Il sung and Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang Photo: Alamy
“I once stayed in Kyoto in a hotel that had incontinence pants in the bedside table. I have nibbled on scorpions in a Chinese market, been bitten by a monkey in Rajasthan and was almost arrested in Tutankhamun’s tomb. But in all my travels I had never felt intimidated, controlled or fearful – until I spent a week in the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea.
Apr
26
Travel & Words 2010 Summer Seminar
April 26, 2010 | 2 Comments
| June 26, 2010 | ||
| 8:00 am | to | 6:00 pm |
Save the Date: Saturday, June 26 for Travel & Words 2010 Summer Seminar
Pacific Northwest destinations, attractions, historic sites and all-season recreation are hot topics in travel publishing. In this one day seminar for freelance travel writers, journalists, photographers, editors, and travel and tourism industry professionals, participants will:
Attend workshops and seminars on marketing freelance articles and photography to both print and online publications in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
Gain timely information on changes and trends in the freelance writing world, particularly the use of social media in managing and marketing one’s brand and developing income-producing web sites related to travel writing.
Apr
26
3rd grade geography lesson
April 26, 2010 | Leave a Comment
“Is Europe a country? Is France? Now, Hungary … never heard of it!” Americans need better geography educations!
Apr
6
An Ode to Travel Writing
April 6, 2010 | Leave a Comment
From KQED Forum’s An Ode to Travel Writing: These days, thanks to travel blogs and instantaneous travel guides, just about anyone can be a travel writer. We discuss the history, current state and future of travel writing with people who have made their careers writing about far-off places. What are their thoughts on the craft, and what are their hopes for the genre in years to come?”
Guests:
- Jeff Greenwald, writer, executive director of Ethical Traveler and author of books including “Shopping for Buddhas” and the forthcoming “Snake Lake”
- Lee Azus, owner of Get Lost Travel Books in San Francisco
Apr
6
The Real Americans
April 6, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Jeff Greenwald, on KQED Forum’s “An Ode to Travel Writing,” recommends Dan Hoyle’s new solo show, The Real Americans, playing at The Marsh through May 30. Rob Hurwitt at the San Francisco Chronicle calls the show, “…impressive, hilarious, moving and provocative…”
Apr
6
Summer internship at Avalon Travel Acquisitions
April 6, 2010 | 2 Comments
Thanks to Eva Schleshinger for forwarding this 3/31 post from Craig’s List about an internship at Avalon:
Reply to: avalon.internships@perseusbooks.com
Position: Acquisitions Communications Intern
Reports to: Acquisitions Director
Term of internship: one semester (May 17 – Sep 10); apply before April 22nd to be considered for the position
Minimum number of hours: 16 per week
Job summary:
The Avalon Travel Acquisitions department is responsible for finding authors for all Moon-series titles, including Moon Handbooks, Moon Outdoors, and Moon Living Abroad. Acquisitions also organizes the future publishing program.
Mar
29
Thanks for voting!
March 29, 2010 | Leave a Comment
| March 31, 2010 | ||
| 12:00 am |
A big thank-you to everyone who voted for my little frog photo in Smithsonian magazine’s 7th annual photo contest. Wednesday, March 31, is the final day of voting, and you could do me a big favor by voting here—one more time.
The winners will be announced on April Fool’s Day. (Hmm … how can I believe any results announced then?)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::
This photo I took in Mendocino is a finalist in Smithsonian magazine’s 7th annual photo contest. There were 60,000 contest entries from all around the world, and mine is one of the top 10 finalists in the “Natural World” category.
Last I knew, it was also in the top 5—out of 50—in the People’s Choice competition.
Mar
29
GrassRoutes on Facebook
March 29, 2010 | Leave a Comment
If you know and love the GrassRoutes eco-travel guidebook series, check out the GrassRoutes page on Facebook.
Mar
29
Thomas Swick on Travel Writing
March 29, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Tom Swick
Thanks to Gayle Keck for forwarding the link to this article by Thomas Swick, Not a Tourist, about travel writing. (Swick is a witty and modest man, which may explain the tiny size of his promotional photo.)
My favorite line from the article: “And I asked myself: How can I know what these people are thinking when I don’t even know what they’re eating?”
Mar
29
Literary Agent Nathan Bransford
March 29, 2010 | Leave a Comment
I came across San Francisco-based literary agent Nathan Bransford’s site because he’s the keynote speaker at the Central Coast Writers Conference (September 17 and 18, 2010), at which I’m teaching. Bransford’s site has lots of useful info for writers, and has won several awards; check it out.
Mar
22
Ed Hasbrouck on learning languages
March 22, 2010 | Leave a Comment
I enjoyed Ed Hasbroucks’s recent article on the intricacies of learning a foreign language. Here are a couple of excerpts:
“We tend to think of the problem of understanding a foreign language in terms of “knowing what the words” (or maybe sentences) mean. But If that were true, all we would need anywhere would be a phrase book. Anyone who’s
ever tried, and failed, to use a phrase book to communicate in a completely unknown language has quickly realized that there are multiple layers of coding that one must master before one can look up a foreign word in a dictionary or phrase book.
“One layer down in a spoken language, which groups of sounds or syllables
Mar
22
Mikel Essery Travel Writing Contest 2010
March 22, 2010 | 1 Comment
| April 30, 2010 |
The Mikel Essery Travel Writing Contest has an interesting story; check out their website. And here’s an open invitation for the travel writing contest. Get your submission in before May 1st.
“We are sending you this sincere invitation to take a look and contribute to the difussion of the Second Mikel Essery Travel Writing Contest 2010 that we want to turn into a cozy, hospitable and truthful place for writers and travelers.
“So far we have successfully completed the first, 2009 edition, and we have received words of encouragement from most of the participants. The winner in this first edition has been the Santa Fe based writer JANN HUIZENGA with the piece KEEPER OF THE KEYS, who has won a 16 day Trip to Costa Rica. Other prizes,
Mar
11
Gayle Keck interviewed on Vagabonding
March 11, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Gayle Keck
Bay Area cuisine and travel writer Gayle Keck is interviewed on Rolf Potts’ Vagabonding. How did she get started? Biggest challenges? Advice? Gayle also writes at Been There, Ate That.
Mar
11
From Stephanie Elizondo Griest
March 11, 2010 | Leave a Comment
From Stephanie Elizondo Griest:
First, I recently started a little blogito called Around the Blog — aroundthebloc.wordpress.com — about traveling, writing, books, and combos thereof. Please take a look!
I’ve also just released my first anthology, Best Women’s Travel Writing 2010, which features essays by 27 far-flung correspondents. It should be landing on bookshelves near you this month, and you can meet the contributors either on my blog or at one of our upcoming events.
Mar
11
Going for the Gold: Writing Competitions
March 11, 2010 | 2 Comments
Kelly Hayes-Raitt
Kelly Hayes-Raitt explains below why she enters writing competitions. Wow; I can’t wait to read her book:
In my preparation for a search for an agent, I started sending out chapters of my nearly complete book to various contests. My book (tentatively titled Keeping the Faith: An American Woman’s Listening Tour Among the World’s Forgotten) is about my work with Iraqi and Palestinian refugees — a series of stories that put a human face on US foreign policies — and about my healing from a mid-life loss. I call it a political Eat, Pray, Love.